s were horrible. And mine.
And we--we have a tiny baby.... And Senhor Ribiera called upon my
husband. He was charming. He observed my husband's hands. He had a
remedy, he said. He gave it to my husband. He became normal again. And
then--my hands writhed. Senhor Ribiera told my husband that if he
would bring me to him.... And I was relieved. We were grateful. We
accepted the invitation of the Senhor Ribiera to this place. And he
showed us a man, in chains. He--he went mad before our eyes. He was a
member of the United States Secret Service.... And then the Senhor
Ribiera told us that we faced the same fate if we did not serve
him...."

* * * * *

Bell had thrust aside rage as useless, now. He was deliberately cold.

"And so?"

"It is a poison," she said unsteadily. "A deadly, a horrible poison
which drives men murder mad in two weeks from the time of its
administration. The Senhor Ribiera has an antidote for it. But mixed
with the antidote, which acts at once, is more of the horrible poison,
which will act in two weeks more. So that we are entrapped. If we
disobey him...."

Bell began to smile slowly, and not at all mirthfully.

"I think," he said softly, "that I shall gain a great deal of pleasure
from killing the Senhor Ribiera."

"_Dios_--" She strangled upon the word. "Do you not see, Senhor, that
if he dies we--we--" She stopped and choked. "We--have a tiny baby,
Senhor. We--we would...."

Again sick rage surged up in Bell. To kill Ribiera meant to drive his
slaves mad, and mad in the most horrible fashion that can be imagined.
To kill Ribiera meant to have these people duplicate the death of
Ortiz, as their greatest hope, or to fill madhouses with snarling
animals lusting to kill....

"It is--it is not only I, Senhor," said the girl before him. She was
utterly listless, and in the agony of despair. "It is Arturo, also.
The Senhor Ribiera has said that if I do not persuade you, that both
Arturo and I.... And our little baby, Senhor!... Our families also
will be entrapped some day. He has said so.... He will give that
poison to our baby.... And it will grow up either his slave, or--"

Her eyes were pools of panic.

"Oh, God!" said Bell very quietly. "And he's offering me this power!
He's trying to persuade me to become like him. He's offering me
pleasures!"

* * * * *

He laughed unpleasantly. And then he went sick with helplessness. He